Lancôme

For the first time in four years, Lancôme lauched a new fragrance – Attraction, a combination of femininely floral Iris and warm and woody Patchouli.

Parbel Travel Retail Americas (Miami), a subsidiary of the L'Oréal Luxury Product division, was responsible for creating the sales and marketing program for all of the duty-free locations in 50 key airports in the Americas, including the implementation of a visual identification program.

According to Aurelie Platt, marketing manager for Lancôme, Parbel's in-house merchandising team set out to create a worldwide showcase to introduce Attraction to the Americas. “The introduction was to help build a third pillar in the Lancôme fragrance category,” says Platt, “as well as increase the leadership of our two classic fragrances, Trésor and Miracle. When we launched Attraction, we intended it to become a classic.”

Parbel's launch covered airports and duty-free stores in more than 20 countries, starting in Canada (in Vancouver and Toronto), with dressing of windows, podiums and large banners. Even the airport terminal bus bore Attraction signage.

In New York and Miami airports, where Lancôme has large spaces in the duty free stores, the back walls were dressed to reflect the new fragrance. “Those Lancôme spaces already featured a launching area,” says Benoit Budin, Parbel's merchandising department manager. “Because of all the security issues in airports, we wanted to avoid having to send out a crew each time the program needed to be changed. And because we manage the production and create ready-to-use programs, we can control the quality of what's used in every location. The beauty adviser can easily install and change out this program.”

Large banners and graphics were installed in New York's JFK airport, in key locations, while in Miami, the terminals' columns were dressed with Attraction visuals.

In Buenos Aires, oversized graphics were even installed on the exterior of the airport.

“When we launch a product, we try to do something that no one in our business of travel retail luxury has done before,” says Platt. “As soon as travelers arrived at the airport, we wanted them to get in touch with the fragrance.”

Inside the Buenos Aires terminal, banners and visuals ensured that travelers couldn't miss the fragrance. And when those travelers left security, they encountered a large Lancôme podium with more graphics and beauty advisers.

“The campaign was a real discovery from the outside to the inside,” says Budin. “Before travelers hit the point of sale, they were already familiar with the Attraction concept.”

In San Juan, P.R., the design team worked closely with the client to create the largest launch the airport had ever seen. The campaign included dressing every space possible, including windows, corridors, walls, cash registers, gondolas and even the golf carts used to transport passengers and airport personnel.

“The idea was that the launch would be set up overnight, so that in the morning the whole airport would be dressed in Attraction,” says Platt. “We wanted it to be an outstanding launch that allowed us to increase overall brand awareness.” (integral)

Client: L'Oréal USA, Miami
Galia Sandres, Lancôme division manager
Benoit Budin, merchandising department manager, Parbel
Oscar Guiulfo, merchandising manager, South America
Alvaro Davila, merchandising manager, Central/Caribbean
Elizabeth Wagner, merchandising manager
Yovanka Alizo, product merchandiser
Mercy Ramirez, visual merchandiser
Aurelie Platt, Lancôme marketing manager
Erika Mansilla, product manager, Lancôme (skincare and fragrances)

Graphics: Visual Impact Group, Miami
Associated Photo, Miami
Portables, Richmond, B.C.

Graphics and Installation: Color Reflection, Miami

Graphics, Installation and Furniture: Basico, Buenosss Aires, Argentina

Installation: Leonardo, Biscayne Park, Fla.

Furniture: Ultima Design, Miami

Photography: Dana Hoff, Palm Beach, Fla.